Fire at south end of Yosemite now at 900 acres

8/14/17 update noon: The South Fork Fire at the southern end of Yosemite has now burned 900 acres. The wildfire, which was spotted at 2:00 a.m. Sunday is burning in steep terrain and air resources are being used on the fire. No evacuations are in place at this time.

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The "South Fork Fire" which started early Sunday morning has now burned 400 acres. It is burning in the South Fork of the Merced River, one mile upstream from Swinging Bridge.

The fire is burning in steep, rocky and inaccessible terrain and in an area of heavy tree mortality due to bark beetle infestation and poor forest health. Due to the proximity of the community of Wawona, as well as the challenging terrain, the primary objective is firefighter and public safety.

Officials have told residents in the small Mariposa County community of Wawona to prepare for evacuation.

During the day Sunday, park rangers closed the popular hiking trail, the Chilnualna Falls Trail.

The cause of the fire is unknown but several lightning strikes had been seen in the area during the past week.